From: "'Marc Theeuwen'" AMSINC COM> Date: 25 jan 2000 Subject: Game against Shotest As an example of the strength of Shotest (or my weakness if you want), one game I played against Shotest on level 5 (out of 9; levels 2 and 3 are far easier as mentioned by Justin Hollingworth). In this game, Shotest (gote/white) plays a wrong diagonal bishop opening which gave it a better middle game: 1. P 7g-7f 2. P 3c-3d 3. P 2g-2f 4. B 2bx8h+ Unexpected this quick exchange of bishops. It prevents most openings 5. S 7ix8h 6. B * 6e The wrong diagonal bishop (name of opening). 7. S 3i-4h 8. B 6ex7f 9. G 6i-7h This is the most common defense against it. 10. B 7f-5d 11. P 2f-2e 12. S 3a-2b 13. P 2e-2d 14. G 4a-3b 15. K 5i-6h 16. P 4c-4d 17. P 5g-5f 18. P 2cx2d 19. R 2hx2d 20. P * 2c 21. R 2d-2f Maybe I should have move G3h first, such that I could take the pawn 22. S 2b-3c back on 3d. However, that seems a bad place for my gold. Currently 23. G 4i-5h the position is balanced. I am down one pawn, but I do have the bishop 24. K 5a-4b in hand, and there is no easy way for white to promote his bishop. 25. S 4h-5g 26. B 5d-4c 27. P 3g-3f 28. P 8c-8d 29. S 8h-7g 30. P 8d-8e 31. N 2i-3g 32. P 9c-9d 33. P 1g-1f 34. G 6a-5a 35. K 6h-7i 36. S 7a-6b 37. K 7i-8h 38. K 4b-3a 39. P 6g-6f 40. K 3a-2b 41. G 5h-6g 42. G 5a-4b 43. S 5g-4f 44. P 9d-9e 45. P 1f-1e 46. S 3c-2d 47. P * 2e Perhaps better S5e-S3c-N2e-S2d-Sx4d-B6a 48. S 2d-3c 49. P 3f-3e 50. P 3dx3e 51. S 4fx3e 52. P * 3d 53. S 3e-4f 54. P 7c-7d 55. P * 3e 56. P 3dx3e 57. S 4fx3e 58. P * 3d 59. B * 5e 60. N 8a-7c 61. S 3ex4d 62. S 3cx4d 63. B 5ex4d 64. G 4b-3c 65. B 4d-5e 66. P 5c-5d P'4d prevents the exchange of bishop for gold. The bishop can not flee 67. B 5ex3c+ 68. N 2ax3c 69. G * 4d 70. B * 3e 71. G 4dx4c 72. B 3ex2f 73. G 4cx3b 74. K 2bx3b 75. B * 6a 76. B 2fx3g+ 77. G * 4c 78. K 3b-2b 79. S * 8c 80. R 8b-8a 81. B 6a-7b+ 82. R 8a-4a In this position, I only have pawns in hand, my horse and silver are 83. B+7bx6b out of play and white has a lot of material in hand. The only plus is 84. R 4ax4c the lack of defenses around the king. 85. S * 4d 86. R 4c-4b R4a is better: then there is no attack on the rook where the horse 87. B+6b-5c still protects the silver like now. Basically it is a waste of a 88. G * 5b precious tempo, which could have been used for dropping a gold in def 89. B+5cx4b ense, without worries for the rook. 90. G 5bx4b 91. S 8cx7d+ 92. B+3gx1i Wrong!!! This lance can be taken later. First reinforce your defenses 93. P * 3e with P'4c! 94. L * 4c 95. R * 7b 96. N * 5b 97. S 4dx4c+ 98. G 4bx4c 99. P 3ex3d 100. G * 4b 101. S+7dx6c 102. R * 9b 103. R 7bx9b+ 104. L 9ax9b This rook exchange is useless; it also brings the lance under attack, 105. R * 6b so this position is inferior to the one before the rook drop. 106. L 9b-9c Basically a tempo has now been wasted to save the lance which was not 107. S+6cx5b under attack before. 108. G 4b-3b 109. L * 3e 110. B * 4d 111. P 3dx3c+ 112. G 4cx3c 113. L 3ex3c+ 114. K 2bx3c Ofcourse Gx3c-+S5c 115. R 6b-6c+ 116. P * 4c 117. G * 4e 118. B 4d-2f If you are going to flee with the bishop, promote it on 1g. 119. P * 3d 120. K 3c-2b 121. G 4ex5d 122. B+1i-1h 123. S+5b-5c 124. S * 6i 125. S+5cx4c 126. S 6ix7h+ 127. K 8hx7h 128. R * 3h 129. S 7g-6h The expected move G6h is less effective for entering my king. 130. P * 7g 131. K 7hx7g 132. L * 7e This is desperation already. It loses the lance soon. 133. P * 7f 134. L 7ex7f 135. K 7gx7f 136. R 3hx3d+ 137. S+4cx3b 138. R+3dx3b 139. S * 4c 140. B+1hx5d 141. R+6cx5d 142. G * 4d 143. N * 3d 144. R+3bx3d 145. S 4cx3d+ 146. P * 7e 147. K 7fx7e 148. N * 8c 149. K 7e-8d 150. S * 7e This is useless. More opportunities come from defense like Gx3d 151. K 8dx9c 152. G * 8b 153. K 9cx8b 154. S * 7a 155. K 8bx8c 156. S 7a-8b 157. K 8cx8b 158. B 2fx1e 159. R+5dx4d 160. P * 3a 161. S * 3c 162. B 1ex3c 163. R+4dx3c 164. K 2b-1b 165. G * 2b